Each question in an interview guide can include both ________ and __________ information

verbal; non-verbal

Advantages of Individual Interviews

Easier to schedule than group interviews

Disadvantages of Individual Interviews

Contradictions and inconsistencies between interviewees
Follow-up discussions are time consuming

Advantages of Group Interviews

More effective use of time
Can hear agreements and disagreements at once
Opportunity for synergies

Disadvantages of Group Interviews

More difficult to schedule than individual interviews
Risk of social desirability in answers

A facilitated process that supports idea generation by groups

Nominal Group Technique (NGT)

Watching users do their jobs

Direct Observation

Can provide more accurate information than self-reporting (like questionnaires and interviews)

Direct Observation

Review of existing business documents

Document Analysis

Can give a historical and “formal” view of system requirements

Document Analysis

Four types of useful documents

Written work procedures
Business form
Report
Description of current information system

Describes how a job is performed
Includes data and information used and created in the process of performing the job or task

Written work procedures

Explicitly indicate data flow in or out of a system

Business Form

Enables the analyst to work backwards from the report to the data that generated it

Report

business document that formally describes work processes, provides useful information regarding system functionality and logic.

Written work procedure

Potential Problems with Procedure Documents

May involve duplication of effort
May have missing procedures
May be out of date
May contradict information obtained through interviews

The official way a system works as described in organization’s documentation

Formal

The way a system actually works in practice
Interviews and observation reveal informal system

Informal

Brings together key users, managers, and systems analysts

Joint Application Design (JAD)

Facilitate sharing of ideas and voicing of opinions about system requirements
Not used by most organizations

Group Support Systems

Used to analyze existing systems
Help discover requirements to meet changing business conditions

CASE tools

Iterative development process
Rudimentary working version of system is built
Refine understanding of system requirements in concrete terms

System prototypes

facilitates group process

Session Leader

active, speaking participants

Users

active, speaking participants

Managers

high-level champion, limited participation

Sponsor

should mostly listen
Scribe: record session activities

Systems Analysts

should mostly listen

IS Staff

Documentation detailing existing system
Features of proposed system

End Result

CASE Tools During JAD

Upper CASE tools are used
Enables analysts to enter system models directly into CASE during the JAD session
Screen designs and prototyping can be done during JAD and shown to users

Quickly converts requirements to working version of system

Prototyping

Prototyping Drawbacks

Tendency to avoid formal documentation
Difficult to adapt to more general user audience
Sharing data with other systems is often not considered
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) checks are often bypassed

Search for and implementation of radical change in business processes to achieve breakthrough improvements in products and services

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

Reorganize complete flow of data in major sections of an organization
Eliminate unnecessary steps
Combine steps
Become more responsive to future change

BPR Goals

Technologies that enable the breaking of long-held business rules that inhibit organizations from making radical business changes